A woman waits in line for a train at the 30th Street Station ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Philadelphia. As governors and mayors grapple with an out-of-control pandemic, they are ratcheting up mask mandates and imposing restrictions on small indoor gatherings, which have been blamed for accelerating the spread of the coronavirus.
Matt Slocum / AP Photo
Matt Slocum / AP Photo
A woman waits in line for a train at the 30th Street Station ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Philadelphia. As governors and mayors grapple with an out-of-control pandemic, they are ratcheting up mask mandates and imposing restrictions on small indoor gatherings, which have been blamed for accelerating the spread of the coronavirus.
(Altoona) — During a special meeting Tuesday night, the Altoona Area School District Board of Directors voted 5 to 4 to approve a shift to fully remote instruction beginning next Tuesday.
The decision comes as the state government has tightened COVID-19 mitigation policies intended to curb growing cases across Pennsylvania.
The vote means all 12 schools in the Altoona Area School District will be online until Feb. 1 or until Blair County sees two consecutive weeks of a disease transmission level that’s less than the current “substantial” level.
Parents who opposed the move told the board virtual learning hurt their kids’ education or mental health. Many questioned why the remote period is not shorter.
But Assistant Superintendent Brad Hatch said, considering the current staff shortage due to quarantines, remote learning is necessary.
“The level of impact that these are having, as we talked about before, it expands exponentially very quickly,” he said.
According to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, more than 900 students and 200 staff were in quarantine as of last Friday.
Several parents who commented during the special meeting said they worried students with special needs are not supported adequately in virtual learning. The school board said they’re confident they can provide resources for families going forward.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
